Modular concrete vault structure

ABSTRACT

A modular security vault structure having a plurality of prefabricated concrete panels forming the vault side, ceiling and floor walls. Some of the panels have integral corners. The panels are formed with tongues and grooves for tongue and groove joint connection between adjacent panels. Spaced rows or layers of reinforcing bar grids are embedded within the panels. The ends of the bar grids extend into the tongues and into the panels on either side of the grooves so as to overlap at each tongue and groove joint. Plates cover the joint lines between panels on the inner vault surfaces. The plates are bolted to sockets embedded within the panels and connected with the bar grids. Vertical panel joints in the vault side walls are offset from horizontal joints in the vault ceiling and floor walls. A usual vault door may be hung in a wall of the modular vault structure. Lighting, alarm and ventilating requirement conduits, offset at least once, may be embedded in the prefabricated panels so that any vault structure can be erected completely and quickly at the bank site.

Marciniak et al.

154] MODULAR CONCRETE VAULT STRUCTURE [75] Inventors: John C. Marciniak,Canton; William D. Burkey, Louisville, both of Ohio [73] Assignee:Diebold, Incorporated, Canton,

Ohio

[22] Filed: July 12,1971 [21] Appl. No.: 161,630

[52] US. Cl ..109/83, 109/82 [51] Int. Cl. ..E04b 2/08 [58] Field ofSearch ..109/24, 23, 29, 58,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,525,203 2/1925 Schmitz..109/83 X 1,666,486 4/1928 Brainard et al. 109/83 X 3,429,473 2/1969Vroman et al 52/593 X 2,844,024 7/1958 McDonald 52/583 X 1,067,8547/1913 White ..52/583 2,083,725 6/1937 Manske et al. 52/595 X 2,100,45111/1937 Parkhurst 52/583 X 2,920,475 1/1960 Graham 52/583 X 2,958,9831l/196O Hoover 52/583 X 3,063,202 11/1962 Carper ...52/595 X 3,377,7554/1968 Stucky et al. ...52/583 X 3,385,012 5/1968 Lovegreen ..52/21 13,732,831 [4 1 May 15,1973

4/1970 MacDonald 109/29 10/1924 Great Britain ..109/83 PrimaryExaminer-Dennis L. Taylor Attorney-John H. Bishop et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A modular security vault structure having a plurality ofprefabricated concrete panels forming the vault side, ceiling and floorwalls. Some of the panels have integral corners. The panels are formedwith tongues and grooves for tongue and groove joint connection betweenadjacent panels. Spaced rows or layers of reinforcing bar grids areembedded within the panels. The ends of the bar grids extend into thetongues and into the panels on either side of the grooves so as tooverlap at each tongue and groove joint. Plates cover the joint linesbetween panels on the inner vault surfaces. The plates are bolted tosockets embedded within the panels and connected with the bar grids.Vertical panel joints in the vault side walls are offset from horizontaljoints in the vault ceiling and floor walls. A usual vault door may behung in a wall of the modular vault structure. Lighting, alarm andventilating requirement conduits, offset at least once, may be embeddedin the prefabricated panels so that any vault structure can be erectedcompletely and quickly at the bank site.

5 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures PATH-HM] MY 1 51373 SHEET 1 BF 4 mvsmoasFIG. 2. JOHN C.MARC|NlAKand WILLIAM D. BURKEY ATTORNEYS PATH-HM $732,831

sum 2 0r 4 1* 4 I 0 o i i I n 26 t a I INVEt-JTORS JOHN CMARCINIAK andWILLIAM D. BURKEY ATTORNEYS PATENHB HAY 1 5|975 SHEET 3 UP 4 INVENTORSJOHN C. MARCINlAKcnd FIG. IO

WILLIAM D. BUBKEY 9W M ATTORN EYS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Fieldof the Invention The invention relates to security vault structures andin particular to a modular prefabricated reinforced concrete vaultconstruction. More particularly, the invention relates to a modularconcrete vault structure formed of reinforced concrete panels withtongue and groove joints between panels, which may be erected quickly atthe site, for example, of a branch bank at a suburban shopping centerwithout time-consuming and costly concrete form erection and concretesetting time delays at the bank site, and which modular vault structuresatisfies the security requirements of regulating bodies in the bankingfield.

2. Description of the Prior Art Various fireproof buildings, burialvaults, safes, and vaults heretofore have been erected from precast orpreformed panels. Some panels have been reinforced concrete and somehave had tongue and groove joints. Other walls or panels have beenformed of gypsum, stone or sheet metal shells filled with such materialsas lime, plaster-of-paris coal-ashes, earthy matter, alum, heatinsulation material, cork board, or the like. Some walls have had panelsof laminated layers of iron and steel, or of case hardened armor-plate.Some walls have been formed of precast blocks or tile held together withtie-rods. Joints between panels have been covered with angle iron ormetal strips. Adjacent panels have been connected with tie-rods.

None of the myriad of such known prior structures satisfy currentsecurity requirements of regulatory bodies concerning bank vaults toprotect against burglarly and unauthorized access. Heretofore, bankvaults having walls, for example, 12 to 36 inches in thickness ofreinforced concrete, have been cast at the bank site with attendantcomplications of erection of forms, pouring concrete, permitting theconcrete to set, stripping forms, etc., in order to satisfy securityrequirements of regulatory bodies. Bank vault walls in the past havebeen acceptable by regulatory bodies as being the equivalent forprotective purposes of up to 12 inches thick reinforced concrete wallswhen formed of steel lining plates faced with fire-resistant material.In the past, this has permitted prefabricated panels of steel liningplates faced with fire-resistant material to be used in erecting vaultsfor small branch banking facilities at suburban locations such as atshopping centers.

However, recently regulatory bodies have withdrawn approval of steellining and fire-resistant material wall structures for bank vaults as asubstitute for reinforced concrete wall structures in certain wallthicknesses. This has required vault structures for branch bankbuildings to be erected at the bank site in accordance with priorbuilding construction procedures for building reinforced concrete walls.Thus, the erection of forms, the casting of concrete, the stripping offorms, etc., has had to be carried out at the bank site. This, in turn,has resulted in along construction time factor for building branch bankfacilities complete with vault, etc.

There is a great demand for branch bank structures which may be erectedquickly at shopping centers, including the complete building, a bankvault, all necessary banking equipment, and all interior furnishings,and which may be completed and ready for use within,

2 say, ninety days of placing the order for such a branch bank facility.

The combined security and time factor requirements for such a branchbank vault structure cannot be satisfied by known prior structures ormodes of erection, and thus, an unsatisfied need exists in the bankingfield for a modular reinforced concrete vault structure which can meetthe stated demand for branch bank facilities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Objectives of the invention include providing amodular concrete vault structure which may be erected quickly usingprefabricated reinforced concrete panels having tongue and groove jointsbetween adjacent panels which form all of the side, ceiling and floorwalls of the vault; providing a modular concrete vault structure inwhich the reinforcing bar grids in wall panels overlap in the tongue andgroove joints between adjacent panels; providing a modular concretevault structure having metal plates covering joint lines betweenadjacent panels on the inner vault surfaces directly connected to andintegrated with the reinforcing bar grids in the panels so as to inhibitattack of or attempts at unauthorized access to the vault structure inthe region of the joints between adjacent panels, and so as to resistramming forces applied in an attempt to knock down a portion of themodular wall structure; providing a modular concrete vault structurehaving reinforced concrete walls satisfying the security requirements ofregulatory bodies in the banking field without pouring the concretewalls at the bank site; and providing a modular reinforced concretevault wall structure which eliminates difficulties heretofore existingin the construction of bank vaults, achieves the stated objectivessimply and effectively, and solves problems and satisfies needs existingin the art.

These objectives and advantages are obtained by the modular concretevault structure, the general nature of which may be stated as including,vault compartmentforming, side, ceiling and floor walls formed of aseries of prefabricated or precast reinforced concrete panels; tongueand groove fonnations on the panels providing tongue and groove jointsbetween all vault wall forming panels; spaced rows of reinforcing bargrids embedded within each panel and having bar grid ends extending intoeach panel tongue and on either side of each panel groove so that thebar grid ends overlap at each tongue and groove joint; plate meanswithin the vault compartment covering the joint lines at the inner wallsurfaces between adjacent panels; means connecting the plate meansdirectly to the bar grids, said connecting means preferably includingthreaded sockets embedded in the panel-forming concrete and joinedwithin the panels to the bar grids embedded within the panels, andscrews engaging the plate means and the threaded sockets; the paneljoints in the vault side walls being offset from the joints in the vaultceiling and floor walls; alarm, lighting and ventilating means conduitsembedded in certain of said panels; and each conduit having at least oneoffset formed therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments of the inventionillustrative of the best modes in which applicants have contemplatedapplying the principles are set forth in the following description andshown in the drawings and are particularly and distinctly pointed outand set forth in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a top plan view, with portions broken away, of the improvedmodular concrete vault structure;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation, with portions broken away, and in section,of the improved modular concrete vault structure;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of ceiling and end walljoints, taken on line 3-3, FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a floor and sidewall joint, taken on line 4-4, FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view through a ceiling joint, lookingin the direction of the arrows 5-5, FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a further enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a jointbetween an end wall and a ceiling panel, taken on line 6-6, FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a similar enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a jointbetween side wall panels, taken on line 7-7, FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a further enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the plateconnection with a bar grid, taken on line 8-8, FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken through the doorway for the vault ofFIGS. 1 and 2, looking in the direction of the arrows 9-9, FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the righthand portion ofthe frame for the vault door opening of FIG. 2;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view looking in the direction of thearrows 11-11, FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 12-12, FIG.10;

FIG. 13 is a top plan view, with portions broken away, of a modularconcrete vault structure smaller than shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is a side elevation with parts broken away and in section, ofthe vault structure shown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a front view of the vault structure of FIGS. 13 and 14,looking toward the vault door opening; and

FIG. 16 is an enlarged fragmentary view looking in the direction of thearrows 16-16, FIG. 13.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment An example ofthe improved modular reinforced concrete vault structure is showngenerally at l in assembled condition in FIGS. 1, 2 and 9.

The modular structure 1 includes a series of prefabricated reinforcedconcrete panels or sections, one of which is generally indicated at 2.Each panel 2 has suitable formations of tongues or grooves, or both,indicated generally at 3 and 4, so that the erected structure I hastongue and groove joints between adjacent panels 2. The number, type andshape of each panel 2 that is used will vary depending upon theparticular size of the vault to be built.

Vault l as shown has two U-shaped end wall panels 5 and 6, a back wallpanel 7, a front wall panel 8, ceiling panels 9, 10 and 1 l, and floorpanels 12, 13 and 14. A vault door opening 15 is formed between ceilingand floor panels 10 and 13, and front wall panel 8 and one leg of rightend wall panel 6. Any usual vault door may be hung to close vault dooropening 15.

The end, back and front wall panels 5, 6, 7 and 8 each are formed withgrooves 4 having outer groove surfaces along their top and bottom edgesintermediate the inner and outer faces or surfaces of the panels. Thevertical edges 16 of end wall panels 5 and 6 also are formed withgrooves 4. The vertical edges 17 of back wall panel 7 are formed withtongues 3 having outer tongue surfaces to seat in the end wall grooves 4(FIG. 1). The lefthand vertical edge of front wall panel 8 (FIG. 2) isformed with a tongue 3 and the righthand vertical edge 18 of front panel8 is formed with a groove 4. Thus, there are tongue and groove joints3-4 at each of the vertical joints between end wall panels 5 and 6 andback and front wall panels 7 and 8; and the vertical panel edges 16 and18 which form the vertical sides of the vault door opening 15 havegroove formations 4 therein (FIG. 1).

The lefthand and righthand outer edges (FIG. 2), respectively, of endfloor panels 12 and 14 are flat, but the inner edges 19 and 20 of panels12 and 14 are formed with tongues 3. Matching grooves 4 are formed inthe side edges of the intermediate floor panel 13 which abut the paneledges 19 and 20 to form tongue and groove joints 3-4 between theassembled floor panels 12, 13 and 14 (FIG. 2).

Similarly, the end ceiling panels 9 and 11 have tongues 3 formed alongtheir edges 21 and 22, respectively, and the intermediate ceiling panel10 has matching grooves 4 formed in its edges which abut the panel edges21 and 22 to form tongue and groove joints 34 between the assembledceiling panels 9, l0 and 11.

The ceiling and floor panels 9, 10, ll, l2, l3 and 14 each are formedwith tongues 3, the ceiling panels on their undersurfaces, and the floorpanels on their top surfaces, surrounding and spaced from the assembledpanel outer edges, excepting at the upper and lower sides of the vaultdoor opening 15. These tongues 3 on the ceiling and floor panels seat inmatching grooves 4 at the top and bottom edges of the end, back andfront wall panels 5, 6, 7 and 8 to form tongue and groove joints 3-4,respectively, between the vertical wall and horizontal floor and ceilingpanels forming the vault wall structure 1.

The vault structure panels assembled as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 9have horizontally extending tongue and groove joints between the ceilingpanels 9, 10 and 111 and between the floor panels 12, 13 and 14 whichare offset laterally from the vertically extending tongue and groovejoints between the vertical wall panels 5, 6, 7 and 8. This is importantfrom the standpoint of increased resistance to attack by an intruderseeking unauthorized entry to the structure using forces such as rammingforces.

The edge of the vault door opening 15 at the top thereof is formed by adowntumed concrete flange formation 23 at the front end of ceiling panel10. The lower outer comer of flange 23 may be trimmed with an anglemember 24 embedded in the concrete to protect the concrete fromchipping. Similarly, the outer comers of the vertical edges 16 and 18 ofpanels 6 and 8 may have a trim angle member 25 embedded in the panelconcrete (FIG. 1).

Each of the vault wall panels, when being precast, is provided withreinforcing means of some type typically required and approved forreinforced concrete vault wall construction. One of the approvedreinforcing means comprises inch deformed steel bars located on fourinch centers in horizontal and vertical rows (with respect to a verticalwall) forming a grid, herein called a bar grid and indicated at 26. Thebars are tied together in proper spaced grid arrangement in a mannerusual in the use of concrete reinforcing bars as by using tie wires, notshown. The grids 26 must be located not less than 6 inches apart and arestaggered in each direction. The number of grids required depends uponthe thickness of the wall, floor or ceiling. As shown, two grids 26 arelocated in each panel which is the number required for a 12 inch thickreinforced concrete vault wall. If the wall is horizontal and notvertical, the bar grids 26 also are arranged horizontally; and theirgrid pattern has the spaced bars arranged perpendicularly in rows.

The bar grids 26, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, each have a first series ofspaced parallel bars and a connected second series of spaced parallelbars oriented at 90 with respect to the first series. The staggeredarrangement indicated is achieved by arranging the spaced bars in thefirst series of one bar grid row (such as the upper row in FIG. 7)parallel with and staggered with respect to the spaced bars in the firstseries of the second or lower bar grid row shown in FIG. 7; and byarranging the spaced bars in the second series of the one row parallelwith and staggered with respect to the spaced bars .in the second seriesof the second row, as shown for example in FIG. 6.

The reinforcing bar grids 26 are modified, in accordance with theinvention, so that ends of a row of bars extending in one direction, andpreferably at least one bar tied to said ends in a row extending in theother grid pattern direction, are bent and offset to be located in thetongues 3 as indicated at 27 for example in FIGS. 3, 4, 6 and 7 Wherethe bent ends extending into the tongue formation are spaced from thetongue outer surfaces. Similarly the ends of bars in one row and usuallya cross grid bar in that row are located in the panel portions at eitherside of the grooves 4, as indicated at 28 with the bar ends extending oneither side of each groove spaced from the groove outer surfaces. Thisis well shown typically in FIGS. 6 and 7 which illustrate horizontal andvertical tongue and groove joints.

The vertical tongue and groove joint illustrated in FIG. 7 between backwall panel 7 and an end of U- shaped end wall panel 6 has a joint linethe exterior of which is indicated at 29 between the vertical edges 16and 17 of panels 6 and 7. The interior of joint line 29 is covered asdescribed below.

Bar grids 26 are located in the concrete adjacent the outer surfaces ofeach of panels 6 and 7, and there also are bar grids 26 located adjacentthe inner surfaces of each of panels 6 and 7. The ends 27 of some barsin one row of bars of inner bar grid 26 in panel 7 extend into tongue 3of panel 7 overlapping the tongue and groove joint 29, as shown in FIG.7. One crossbar 27a is tied to said ends 27 of inner grid 26, andcrossbar 27a is located within tongue 3 of panel 7.

The ends 28 of both bar grids 26 in panel 6 (FIG. 7) extend into wallportions of panel 6 at either side of the groove 4. A crossbar 28a ofthe inner bar grid 26 in panel 6 is tied to the ends 28 of said innerbar grid 26 and is located within that portion of panel 6 which extendsalongside groove 4, as shown.

The arrangement of tongue and groove bar grid ends and crossbars 27,27a, 28 and 28a, is similar in the horizontal joint 29a between toppanel 9 and end panel 5,

shown in FIG. 6. The arrangement of bar grid ends, etc., in the tongueand groove joint illustrated in FIG. 4, also is similar.

In all of the joints, the bar grid ends 27 extending into the tongues 3overlap the joint lines and overlap the wall portions of the adjacentpanel located at either side of the groove 4 formed in such adjacentpanel. Likewise, in all of the joints, the bar gn'd ends 28 located ateither side of a groove 4 overlap the tongue 3 of the adjacent panel,and also overlap the bar grid ends 27 which extend into such tongue.This overlapping structural arrangement is illustrated diagrammaticallyby the dotdash line x-x in each of FIGS. 6 and 7, which line passesthrough the surface of the ends 28 of bar grids 26 in the grooved panel6, but which line cuts across the ends 27 of one of the bar grids 26 inthe tongued panel 7.

This overlapping arrangement of the ends of the bar grids 26 at each ofthe tongue and groove joints is an important aspect of the concept ofthe invention. First of all, it aids in structural strength orresistance of the joints to ramming forces or blows that may be appliedby an intruder attempting penetration of the vault Wall at one of thetongue and groove joints. Next, the overlapping of the ends of the bargrids at each tongue and groove joint presents the usual bar griddeterrent to penetration of the wall by drilling, hole sawing or thelike, in the region of the joints, equivalent to the deterrent presentedby bar grids in the body of any reinforced concrete wall in prior vaultwall construction that has been cast at the site in the usual mannerwith out joints.

In other words, the new joint structure with overlapping bar grid barends presents in effect, though built from precast reinforced concretepanel members which may be assembled quickly at the vault site, the sameresistance to intrusion attack that is presented by the approvedcast-at-the-site bar grid reinforced concrete wall structure.

In addition to the overlapping arrangement, other means are provided inaccordance with the invention to tie the panels and panel reinforcementtogether at each tongue and groove joint between adjacent panels.

Plate members 30 engage the inner panel surfaces and completely coverall joint lines between panels on the inner vault surface such as jointline 29; (FIG. 7). A series of threaded metal sockets 31 is welded bysuitable bars 32 to one of the bars of a bar grid 26, which is locatedadjacent but spaced from the inner surface of the panel, as shown inFIG. 8, the weld areas being located at 33 and 34. The threaded sockets31 are located with their outer ends flush with the inner panel surface,and sockets 31 are located at spaced intervals in rows adjacent theedges of panels at the tongue and groove joints 29 between adjacentpanels (FIG. 7 Plates 30 are secured to the sockets by screws 35.

Angle members 36 similarly completely cover corner joints between end,back and front wall panels 5, 6, 7 and 8, and either the ceiling panels9, 10 and 11 (FIG. 6), or the floor panels 12, 13 and 14, as shown inFIGS. 4 and 6. Screws 36 secure the angle members 36 to threaded sockets31 embedded in the concrete wall and welded to one of the bars of anadjacent bar grid 26 (FIG. 6).

Preferably steel plates 37 line the inner faces or surfaces of the vaultwall panels at the ceiling, side walls and floor between joint coverplates 30 and corner joint angle cover members 36, so as to present auniform surface and appearance within the vault chamber. These plates 37may be integrated with the panels as the panels the precast by headedanchor lugs 38 extending from the liner plates 37 into the concrete asshown in FIG. 7. The pattern of such anchor lugs is indicateddiagrammatically by the circles in FIG. 9.

The construction involving joint line oover plates 30 and angles 36,joined by screws 35, sockets 31 and connections 32 with bar grids 26form another important aspect of the invention. By these means, the bargrids 26 adjacent the inner face of each panel member,

whether for ceiling, sidewall or floor, are integrally connected acrossthe joints at each joint so as to provide in effect an integral gridstructure equivalent, from the standpoint of separation at the joints,to the grid structures formed in usual approved cast-in-place reinforcedconcrete vault wall structures.

By these means, that is, by the overlapping bar grid bar ends at eachtongue and groove joint, and by the integrated inner grid structurethroughout all six vault walls, the improved modular vault wallstructure provides the same reinforced concrete wall security, in astructure that can be assembled quickly from precast panels at the vaultsite, that heretofore has been provided only by a reinforced concretevault structure cast in place at the site. Accordingly, the new modularstructure provides the security called for by regulatory bodies, withoutinvolving delays in constructure heretofore characterizing theverectionof reinforced concrete vaults cast at the site.

Bank vaults ordinarily are internally lighted, are protected by alarmsystems, and are provided with means for ventilating. Conduits andopenings may be provided in one or more of the precast panels toaccommodate these requirements, such as illustrated particularly inFIGS. 10, 11 and 12. An opening 39 having a larger inner portion 40 maybe formed in a leg of end wall panel 6 for the installation of vaultventilating equipment.

Electrical outlets 41 for switches and other electrical components maybe formed in a panel communicating with the inner or outer surfaces ofone of the panels, such as the leg of end wall panel 6, as shown. Otherjunction boxes, etc. 42, connected with various conduits indicateddiagrammatically by the piping pattern 43 in FIG. 11, also may be formedin one of the panels as the panels are precast.

Some of the conduits 43 may extend out of the panel 6 at 44 (FIG. 11)for connection with a vault door, not shown; or may be connected throughconduit 45 (FIG. 9) with a junction box 46 serving one of the ceilingpanels.

The lighting and alarm requirement conduits 43, in extending along orthrough a panel wall are offset at least once, so as to deter use of anyconduit as a means of attacking the vault.

Each of the panels 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, ll, 12, 13 and 14, in accordancewith design requirements, vault size, required wall thickness, conduitrequirements, tongue and groove location, etc., is precast at aconvenient location and is ready for assembly at the vault site whenevera vault is to be erected. During erection, floor panels 12, 13 and 14are assembled, as shown, on leveling plates 47 and leveling screw means48 supported on footers 49 of required size and arrangement. The footers49 may be provided at the time the foundation is formed for the buildingin which the vault 1 is to be located.

Wall panels 5, 6, 7 and 8 then are assembled on the floor panels 12, 13and 14, and ceiling panels 9, 10 and 11 then are assembled on top of thewall structure. A vault door may be hung in the opening 15 in a usualmanner, and floor panel 13 may have a special step or thresholdformation indicated at 50 for the vault door.

The joints between panels, assembled in the manner indicated, then arecovered by joint plates 30 or angles 36, secured by screws 35 to sockets31. The liner plates 37, if used, are present as a part of the panels asprecast and delivered to the vault site.

The various alarm, lighting and ventilating equipment is installed inthe conduits and openings provided for such purposes. After desiredsurface finishing of exposed walls, both exterior and interior of thevault, the vault is ready for use.

Second Embodiment A modified form of construction of a modular vaultformed of precast reinforced concrete panels is shown in FIGS. l3, 14,15 and 16 wherein a smaller vault 51 than vault 1 is illustrated. Thevault 51 may be formed of a single ceiling panel 52, a single floorpanel 53, supported on leveling screw means 54 on footers 55, U- shapedside wall panels 56 and 57 and a back wall panel 58.

The various panels 52, 53, 56, 57 and 58 are assembled togethergenerally in the same manner for vault 51, as described for vault l,with tongue and groove joints at all joints between adjacent panels. Thebar grids 59 in each panel are arranged in the same manner in the vault51 as described in connection with vault 1.

End portions of the bar grids 59 are located in each tongue and groovejoint in overlapping arrangement in the same manner as described inconnection with vault 1. The bar grids 59 are tied together at thetongue and groove joints between back panel 58 and side panels 56 and 57through plates 60, which are screwed at 61 (FIG. 15) to threaded socketsembedded in the panels and connected to the bar grids 59 of adjacentpanels. Similarly angle members 62 are tied to the panels at the cornerjoints (FIG. 15).

Openings and conduit means for lighting, alarm and vault ventilatingsystems may be incorporated in one of the panels of the vault 51, asillustrated in FIG. 16, in the same manner as described in connectionwith FIG. ll 1.

IN GENERAL Accordingly, the improved modular reinforced concrete vaultstructure enables a vault to be erected in a minimum period of time atthe vault site from precast or prefabricated panels having strength andapproved security characteristics and intrusion resistance comparable torequirements heretofore acceptable by regulatory bodies only incast-at-site reinforced concrete vault structures; enables the componentmodular prepresent in the art, satisfies an existing want, and attainsthe new results indicated.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity,cleamess and understanding but no unnecessary limitations are to beimplied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because suchterms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadlyconstrued.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is by way ofexample, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exactdetails of the construction shown or described.

Having now described the features, discoveries and principles of theinvention, the manner in which the improved modular concrete vaultstructure is constructed and assembled, the characteristics of the newconstruction, and the advantageous, new and useful results ob tained;the new and useful structures, devices, elements, arrangements, parts,and combinations are set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Modular concrete vault construction including a series of precastreinforced concrete vault compartment-forming side, ceiling and floorwall panels each having an inner surface; tongue and groove formationseach having outer surfaces selectively located on the panelsinterengaged to provide tongue and groove joints between all adjacentvault wall forming panels; at least two spaced rows of metal reinforcingbar grids embedded within each panel; one of said rows of bar grids ineach panel being located adjacent but spaced from the panel innersurface; each reinforcing bar grid having a first series of spacedparallel bars and a connected second series of spaced parallel barsoriented at 90 with respect to the first series; the spaced rows of bargrids being arranged with the spaced bars in the first series of one rowparallel with and staggered with respect to the spaced bars in the firstseries of the second row, and with the spaced bars in the second seriesof the one row parallel with and staggered with respect to the spacedbars in the second series of the second row; one of the bar grids havingbent offset ends extending into the tongue formation and spaced from thetongue outer surfaces of each panel tongue; the bar ends of the spacedrows of bar grids extending on either side of each groove formation ineach panel at the sides of said spaced from the groove outer surfaces ofeach panel groove; the bar grid ends in the panel tongue of one paneloverlapping the bar grid ends in the interengaged groove formation of anadjacent panel; metal plate means engaging the panel inner surface andcompletely covering the joint line between adjacent panels at each jointbetween adjacent panels; metal connector means mounted adjacent eachjoint line on the one bar grid located adjacent the panel inner surfaceof each of the adjacent panels at each joint; and means connecting themetal plate means and said metal connector means to integrate all themetal bar grid rows adjacent the inner vault wall surfaces into onemetal reinforcing bar grid structure.

2. The construction defined in claim 1 in which liner plates areconnected to the panels on all inner panel surfaces extending betweenthe metal plate means covering the joint lines so as to present auniform surface and appearance within the vault compartment.

3. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the plate means coveringthe joint lines between adjacent side, ceiling and floor wall panels areflat plates, and in which the plate means covering corner joint linesbetween panels are angle members.

4. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the metal connectormeans includes threaded sockets embedded in the panel-forming concreteaccessible at the panel inner surface, means joining the sockets withinthe panels to the bar grids, and screw means engaging the joint coveringmetal plate means and threaded sockets.

5. The construction defined in claim 1 in which there are vertical paneljoints between vault side wall panels and horizontal panel jointsbetween vault ceiling and floor wall panels; and in which the paneljoints and the vault side walls are offset from the joints in theceiling and floor walls.

1. Modular concrete vault construction including a series of precastreinforced concrete vault compartment-forming side, ceiling and floorwall panels each having an inner surface; tongue and groove formationseach having outer surfaces selectively located on the panelsinterengaged to provide tongue and groove joints between all adjacentvault wall forming panels; at least two spaced rows of metal reinforcingbar grids embedded within each panel; one of said rows of bar grids ineach panel being located adjacent but spaced from the panel innersurface; each reinforcing bar grid having a first series of spacedparallel bars and a connected second series of spaced parallel barsoriented at 90* with respect to the first series; the spaced rows of bargrids being arranged with the spaced bars in the first series of one rowparallel with and staggered with respect to the spaced bars in the firstseries of the second row, and with the spaced bars in the second seriesof the one row parallel with and staggered with respect to the spacedbars in the second series of the second row; one of the bar grids havingbent offset ends extending into the tongue formation and spaced from thetongue outer surfaces of each panel tongue; the bar ends of the spacedrows of bar grids extending on either side of each groove formation ineach panel at the sides of said spaced from the groove outer surfaces ofeach panel groove; the bar grid ends in the panel tongue of one paneloverlapping the bar grid ends in the interengaged groove formation of anadjacent panel; metal plate means engaging the panel inner surface andcompletely covering the joint line between adjacent panels at each jointbetween adjacent panels; metal connector means mounted adjacent eachjoint line on the one bar grid located adjacent the panel inneR surfaceof each of the adjacent panels at each joint; and means connecting themetal plate means and said metal connector means to integrate all themetal bar grid rows adjacent the inner vault wall surfaces into onemetal reinforcing bar grid structure.
 2. The construction defined inclaim 1 in which liner plates are connected to the panels on all innerpanel surfaces extending between the metal plate means covering thejoint lines so as to present a uniform surface and appearance within thevault compartment.
 3. The construction defined in claim 1 in which theplate means covering the joint lines between adjacent side, ceiling andfloor wall panels are flat plates, and in which the plate means coveringcorner joint lines between panels are angle members.
 4. The constructiondefined in claim 1 in which the metal connector means includes threadedsockets embedded in the panel-forming concrete accessible at the panelinner surface, means joining the sockets within the panels to the bargrids, and screw means engaging the joint covering metal plate means andthreaded sockets.
 5. The construction defined in claim 1 in which thereare vertical panel joints between vault side wall panels and horizontalpanel joints between vault ceiling and floor wall panels; and in whichthe panel joints and the vault side walls are offset from the joints inthe ceiling and floor walls.